parshat Naso

The gemara (Shabbat 88a) learns from the pasuk, “They stood at the bottom of the mountain” (Shemot 19:17) that He held the mountain over them like a tub, threatening them that if they did not accept the Torah, “There would be your grave.” So it turns out that after Bnei Yisrael willingly accepted upon themselves, before the Torah was given, to keep all the words of the Torah, they still needed to be threatened. Many commentaries wonder about the need for this, and several answers have been given.

The period of time between Pesach and Shavuot is one of uplifting. Historically, the Jewish nation went from the lowly level of 49 “gates” of impurity in Egypt to 49 “gates” of sanctity, leading to the giving of the Torah at Sinai. So too in each generation, this time is available for uplifting experiences.

In previous years we dealt with the haftara of Parashat Naso and the meaning of Shimshon marrying Plishti women. We explained that this action was a declaration of independence from Plishti domination. We proved from a number of phrases that the entire episode regarding these marriages was connected to leadership and governance. Around the time of Shavuot, let us remember that the story of Ruth also deals with the question of why we were subdued under the rule of the Plishtim for hundreds of years until the days of King David. David was the first leader to declare Jewish independence on a national level.